Lisa Morey

Dr. Morey is a trained cell and molecular biologist interested in understanding how environmental exposures influence gene expression in human cancer cells. In multi-cellular organisms the DNA is the same in every cell of that organism, yet individual cells carry out vastly diverse functions. For example, neurons transmit information throughout the body while stomach cells digest food. These diverse functions are determined by the specific DNA sequences that are expressed in each cell type. Therefore, no one cell expresses all of the DNA sequence it possesses. Furthermore, the expression of the DNA sequences can be influenced by environmental factors, such as diet, smoking, alcohol, and exercise. Epigenetics is the study of how gene expression is altered without changing the DNA sequence, but rather by regulating what DNA is available to be expressed. This altered gene expression is frequently the result of environmental exposures, including synthetic and natural estrogenic compounds. Understanding how exposure to these compounds alters gene expression is important as it is a potential factor for the development of many human diseases, including cancer. Dr. Morey is currently interested in how exposure to these compounds influences the ability of cancer cells to metastasize and relocate to form secondary tumors.

Publications

Hayes, L., Weening, A., and Morey, L. M. (2016) Differential effect of estradiol and bisphenol A on Set8 and Sirt1 expression in ovarian cancer. Dose Response. April; 1-7

Burton, K., Shaw, L, and Morey, L. M. (2015) Differential effect of estradiol and bisphenol A on Set8 and Sirt1 expression in prostate cancer. Toxicology Reports. Feb; 2: 817-23.

Tang, W.Y., Morey, L.M., Cheung, Y.Y., Birch, L. Prins, G.S., and Ho, S-M. (2012) Neonatal Exposure to Estradiol/Bisphenol-A alters Promoter Methylation and Expression of Nsbp1 and Hpcal1 Genes, and Transcriptional Programs of Dnmt3a/b and Mbd2/4 in the Rat Prostate Gland Throughout Life . Endocrinology. Jan; 153: 42-55